Harvey Milk is known for becoming the first openly gay elected official when he became a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978. He was famous for his involvement in gay rights activism. Milk served as proof that someone gay could lead a successful life.
He grew up as a normal man. He played football and studied mathematics in school. After graduating, he worked in the Navy during the Korean War. He left the war as a junior lieutenant. Milk came back to become a teacher, then later went on to work at a Wall Street investment firm. He moved to San Francisco to open a camera shop.
He first ran for election in 1973, receiving almost 17,000 votes and placing 10th out of 32. Milk served as president of his own Castro Village Association. He organized the Castro Street Fair in 1974 which was attended by over 5,000 people.
He ran again in 1975, supporting small businesses and the growth of neighborhoods. He came in 7th place.
On September 22, 1975, a woman attempted to assassinate Gerald Ford but was stopped by Oliver Sipple, a gay man, who was then used as an example by Milk that gays do heroic things.
In 1796 he was appointed to the Board of Permit Appeals. He was fired from the job five weeks later when he announced his plan to run for the California State Assembly. He lost the election by less than 4000 votes. Afterwards, he founded the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club.
In 1977, 250,000 people attended the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. The rise in gay rights activism led to support for Harvey Milk in the 1977 election for the Board of Supervisors. He won the election by 30%.
Shortly after coming into office, he promoted and helped pass a civil rights bill that outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation. Soon after he passed a bill requiring pet owners to clean up the pet’s feces.
That year, Milk faced opposition from John Briggs, who proposed that all teachers that were gay or supported gay rights should be fired. During the summer of 1978, the Gay Freedom Day Parade reached an estimated 375,000.
10 months after Milk was elected, Daniel White quit his position as supervisor because it didn’t pay well enough. Days later he requested his job back but was not given it. On November 27, 1978, Milk and Mayor Moscone were assassinated by anti-gay ex-supervisor Daniel White.
Friends
Mayor Moscone
Oliver Sipple
Jim Foster
Foes
Anita Bryant
John Briggs
Daniel White
"If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door."
“No it's not my election I want, it's yours. It will mean that a green light is lit that says to all who feel lost and disenfranchised that you can now go forward.”
Primary Sources
Milk, Harvey. “You Cannot Live On Hope Alone.”1978.
Harvey Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978)
Harvey Milk is known for becoming the first openly gay elected official when he became a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978. He was famous for his involvement in gay rights activism. Milk served as proof that someone gay could lead a successful life.
He grew up as a normal man. He played football and studied mathematics in school. After graduating, he worked in the Navy during the Korean War. He left the war as a junior lieutenant. Milk came back to become a teacher, then later went on to work at a Wall Street investment firm. He moved to San Francisco to open a camera shop.
He first ran for election in 1973, receiving almost 17,000 votes and placing 10th out of 32. Milk served as president of his own Castro Village Association. He organized the Castro Street Fair in 1974 which was attended by over 5,000 people.
He ran again in 1975, supporting small businesses and the growth of neighborhoods. He came in 7th place.
On September 22, 1975, a woman attempted to assassinate Gerald Ford but was stopped by Oliver Sipple, a gay man, who was then used as an example by Milk that gays do heroic things.
In 1796 he was appointed to the Board of Permit Appeals. He was fired from the job five weeks later when he announced his plan to run for the California State Assembly. He lost the election by less than 4000 votes. Afterwards, he founded the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club.
In 1977, 250,000 people attended the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. The rise in gay rights activism led to support for Harvey Milk in the 1977 election for the Board of Supervisors. He won the election by 30%.
Shortly after coming into office, he promoted and helped pass a civil rights bill that outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation. Soon after he passed a bill requiring pet owners to clean up the pet’s feces.
That year, Milk faced opposition from John Briggs, who proposed that all teachers that were gay or supported gay rights should be fired. During the summer of 1978, the Gay Freedom Day Parade reached an estimated 375,000.
10 months after Milk was elected, Daniel White quit his position as supervisor because it didn’t pay well enough. Days later he requested his job back but was not given it. On November 27, 1978, Milk and Mayor Moscone were assassinated by anti-gay ex-supervisor Daniel White.
Friends
Mayor Moscone
Oliver Sipple
Jim Foster
Foes
Anita Bryant
John Briggs
Daniel White
"If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door."
“No it's not my election I want, it's yours. It will mean that a green light is lit that says to all who feel lost and disenfranchised that you can now go forward.”
Primary Sources
Milk, Harvey. “You Cannot Live On Hope Alone.”1978.
Secondary Sources
Cloud, John. “Harvey Milk.” The TIME 100. 14 June 1999. TIME. 19 Dec. 2008. <__http://www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/profile/milk01.html__>.
Romano, Tricia. “All About Milk.” This Week In Gay. 5 Dec. 2008. The Advocate. 20 Dec. 2008. <http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid67857.asp>.
Print Sources
Shilts, Randy. The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk. New York :Macmillan, 1982.
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